Millennial Color Palettes: The Experience-Driven Generation’s Tastes

Each generation has its tastes, habits, and unique identifiers. The collective experience we share in each generation is something special; in fact, one of my most popular articles is about “Generational Colors” and how each age demographic has color palettes that most identify with. 

To follow up on the Generational Colors article, I thought it would be informative and interesting to expand further upon millennial color preferences and the types of millennial color palettes that are very popular with young homeowners today. 

Millennial Color Palettes: Who Qualifies as a Millennial? 

Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the age demographic of millennials, according to the Pew Research Center, a millennial is anyone born between 1981 and 1996, so people ranging from 25-40 years old at the time of writing this article. That age demographic comprises young adults and young families, many of whom are looking to own their first home and make it uniquely theirs. 

Millennial Color Palettes: What Defines the Millennial Generation?

Sure, there are tons of jokes about millennials these days, typically stemming from older generations. There are characterizations that millennials can be irresponsible, they can’t handle the work-a-day world, and spend all their time fantasizing about lifestyles and careers they may never have. 

Well, of course, I know many millennials (all three of my kids fall into this category!), and I would be the first to say there’s little to no truth to these stereotypes. Sure, there are always some bad apples in every bunch, but they can’t define the entire generation! 

Millennials spent their adolescence in a time of heightened anxiety in America. They experienced some of the worst job markets and expensive housing markets ever recorded. For these reasons, I can see where some of their higher stress levels or anxiety comes from. I totally sympathize; these are not easy times in many ways!

I find millennials to be open, honest, and expressive about what makes them the happiest. As a color specialist, I can honestly say that many of my millennial clients are the most accepting of unique color suggestions and color palettes! 

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Millennial Color Palettes: Millennial Values 

I have found that color palettes curated for millennials tend to strike a fine balance between immediacy, excitement, minimalism, and practicality. What do I mean by this? To better understand, I’ll need to touch upon some millennial values. 

Millennials tend to value authenticity and transparency from what they consume to what they purchase; this could be a reaction against the big box store convenience that their parent’s generation was so enthralled with.

A millennial would rather buy something with no-frills that’s authentic than a product that has all the bells and whistles but is produced cheaply for a mass market. Millennials also value expression and making bold statements. If there’s an opportunity to inject personality into something they own, a millennial will do so. 

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Popular Colors Palettes for Millennials 

In the generational colors article, I spoke about how “millennial pink,” a soft, warm pastel pink, is a recognizable staple of a millennial color palette. While it’s true millennials embrace pink in ways that were not seen in prior generations, it may be overstated that it’s the go-to color for most millennials. Soft, powder-like color hues are a cornerstone of millennial color palettes, but not just for pinks; they are open to many more color options, read on!

Embracing the Softer Colors With a Hint of Excitement 

Millennials embrace soft blues, browns, grey, teals, and even oranges serving as modern base colors. While millennials enjoy their loud colors in nostalgic ways, they tend to save them as highlights with accent colors. 

For example, a millennial color palette for a bedroom could consist of a soft, near-neutral base color for the walls like a powder blue or soft brown with layers of color coming in from throw pillows and furniture. They are also open to adding colors in unique places: artwork, soft throws, painted accent pieces of furniture, don’t be surprised to find colors in unexpected places in the home of a millennial! 

The desire for minimalism and authenticity would encourage exposure to wood and raw materials, such as reclaimed barn wood as a nightstand or a vintage iron clock on the wall. Remember what I said a minute ago about seeing colors in unexpected places? To cap the room off with an accent piece, there might be a vintage neon blue or green piece of pop art on the wall or even a vintage red velvet chair in the corner for a reading nook!

As Millenials are the “experience-driven generation,” there’s a strong embrace for cooking, travel, and entertainment. The kitchen is very important for millennials, and it serves as a hosting area quite often. A soft cream yellow on the walls with white countertops and industrial faucets and appliances would complete the look for the millennial kitchen. But don’t forget the oversized colorful bowl on the dining room counter for a spark of loud color!

The balance of excitement, creativity, individualism, authenticity, and practicality will influence millennial color palettes, and I embrace all of these virtues when arranging palettes for my clients!

What do you find millennials tend to gravitate towards? Are you a millennial? Share your color stories; as a color expert, I’d love to hear them!